How-To Geek
Why I still use the '90s most ridiculed desktop accessory in 2026
Yes, I daily-drive a trackball mouse. I have used trackballs on and off throughout my life, but I've never actually owned one. It was usually at school or using my dad's friend's PC. An architect, he swore by this big A4Tech trackball mouse and when I had to do anything on one of these computers (usually fix them), the big red ball mouse was the only option.
Android Auto isn't worth the hassle—my car's infotainment does it better
I know many consider Android Auto to be essential when buying a car—but as for me, I rarely use it. The way I see it, my car's infotainment system is already a better experience.
This one free tool backs up my files to multiple cloud services at once
Rclone is an app that lets you upload, download, sync, and delete files in the cloud. Let me show you why it's better than the official apps from your cloud providers.
9 Google Messages features everyone should know
From a built-in spam detector to the option of pinning messages and automatically deleting OTPs, the Google Messages app offers a variety of features. Here are nine Google Messages features that everyone should know about.
5 of the weirdest ways I control my smart home
I love tinkering with Home Assistant. While the main purpose of using it is to create automations for controlling my smart home, sometimes you need to do things manually. Tapping smart home dashboards or shouting at voice assistants isn't always that much fun, but over the years I've set up plenty of weird and wonderful ways to make my smart home do what I want.
I drove a 500-horsepower Porsche Cayman, and it beat a GT4 RS where it matters
I owned a 981-generation Porsche Cayman S for several years. I put about 4,000 track miles on mine before I moved on to something else. My Cayman S was brilliant on the racetrack. It was so well-balanced, the PDK transmission was fantastic, and the car sounded great as well.
Motorola's answer to Samsung DeX is faster, smarter, and built for what you actually do
Samsung DeX is the oldest and most popular Android-based desktop, but it wasn't my first, and it's not necessarily the best. Depending on how you want to use your phone with an external display, you would be wise not to sleep on Motorola's Smart Connect.
I refuse to pay Microsoft for these 7 features that Linux offers for free
Linux is pretty impressive, and its greatest feature is arguably its cost. If you were to dip into your pocket and pull out nothing but fresh air, you'd still have enough to cover the license fees for this powerful system. Windows, on the other hand, well, Microsoft locks many of its capabilities behind a tiered payment structure. But what supposed features am I talking about? Seven off the top of my head; maybe you can think of more?
3 groundbreaking movies you can only watch on Paramount+
Some movies stand out because of the stories they tell, while others make an impression because of how differently they tell them. Paramount+ has a mix of both, with a collection of original movies that aren't afraid to experiment with genre or storytelling.
I ditched my ISP's DNS to kill their tracking. Here's what actually changed
I lived in my previous apartment for more than seven years, and during most of that time, I used a small ISP that had a lot going for it. For starters, I paid the equivalent of $18, first for a 250/50Mbps plan and later for a 500/100Mbps plan, which was a great price no matter where you live, if you ask me. Better yet, I never signed a contract. I was on their prepaid plan, so when I moved apartments, I just let them know I no longer needed their service, returned the equipment, and that was it.
I spent $10,000 remodeling my garage—and it was better than buying another car
Many car enthusiasts dream about the next modification: bigger brakes, better tires, and more horsepower! Others simply enjoy performing their own maintenance. I am no different. But after years of spending money on my cars, I finally invested in the place where I work on them instead. Looking back, it may have been the best automotive investment I've ever made.
The 4 most important things in 3D printing have nothing to do with your printer
The most exciting part of 3D printing is the actual printing process. Watching your desktop factory do its thing is exhilarating, and I, for one, never get tired of watching that print head zoom around.
I doubled my Galaxy Watch's battery life with these 5 simple tweaks
My Galaxy Watch typically has lasted a little over a day, which I always considered good enough—until I went on a trip. It completely changed my routine. I forgot to charge my watch before leaving, and by the middle of the day, I was walking around with a useless device strapped to my wrist.
4 affordable multi-tools to kickstart your EDC journey
Power tools are great, but sometimes you don't need something that big or powerful for around the house. And while you can choose from an array of compact power tools, occasionally, all you need is a good multi-tool. Leatherman instantly comes to mind, but they're not the only ones that offer solid options perfect for multiple jobs.
The EV comeback is already happening in the US—most people just don't see it yet
The U.S. EV market is bleak. Sales are down, the federal tax incentive has gone away, and major automakers have either canceled electric models (like Ford's F-150 Lightning) or scaled back production (including Nissan and Volkswagen). For now, the future of electrified cars in America revolves around hybrids.
These 5 open-source apps prove you don't need to buy a Kindle or Kobo
You don't need to buy a Kindle or Kobo to enjoy a great ebook reading experience. No matter what device you have, there's probably an excellent ebook reader app that can turn it into your own personal library device.
Your failed hard drives aren't 100% dead: 6 things you can still do with them
Even tiny drives, like a 120GB SATA SSD, can come in handy. After all, if the drive is working, there's nothing stopping you from giving it a more or less useful job.
Your room matters more than your soundbar or speakers—here's how to make the most of the audio you already have
Before you spend another dollar upgrading your audio gear, consider this: the room you're listening in might be holding back the sound far more than your equipment ever could.
These two hidden settings made my Galaxy phone feel faster than ever
Do you wish your Samsung Galaxy phone was a little faster or had longer battery life? It's fair to assume we all look for ways to make our phones better, and that's why you'll love these two settings hiding in plain sight that'll actually make a pretty big difference in performance.
5 smart home heating and cooling ideas you've never thought of
Automation is the real reason to invest big in a smart home, and few systems can benefit quite like your heating and cooling. From saving money to maximizing efficiency, here are some heating and cooling options you should know about.


